The invention relates generally to the butchering of fish and, more particularly, to automated methods and apparatus for scraping and evacuating residual matter from the belly cavities of fish.
After a fish, such as a salmon, has been gutted, especially in an automated process, residual visceral matter may remain in the belly cavity. Hard-to-remove matter, such as the vaccination wound in farm-raised fish, such as salmon, and the intestines and other residue in the vicinity of the vent, is often left in the belly cavity after gutting. A follow-up cleaning step is sometimes necessary to remove all this residual visceral matter from the belly cavity to improve the palatability and sanitation of the fish. In the follow-up cleaning step, the hard-to-remove matter is typically dislodged from the belly wall by scrubbers, such as scrapers or brushes, advancing along the length of the belly cavity. The dislodged matter is then removed by, for example, a suction tube advancing along with the scrubber. When fish are processed belly up, the suction tube extends into the belly cavity from above. When a scrubbing pass through the belly cavity is completed and the scrubber and the suction tube are retracted, visceral matter can be shaken from the suction tube by the rapid acceleration of the suction tube as it and the scrubber are being repositioned to process another fish. Visceral matter that falls back into the belly cavity compromises the quality of the processed fish.
Consequently, there is a need for thoroughly cleaning the belly cavities of fish to improve the overall quality of processed fish.